According to Barna, a Christian research firm, 84 percent of born-again Christians get married, while 33 percent–one-third–of these unions end in divorce. This is why strong examples of lasting love, represented by couples like David and Tamela Mann, are important.

After 25 years of marriage, the 46-year-old gospel singers, actors and longtime sweethearts, reaffirmed their vows of love in a lavish private ceremony at the Joule Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on April 20.

According to US Magazine, among celebrity guest attendees were Kirk Franklin and his wife Tammy, as well as Timbaland and his wife Monique Idlett Mosley.

“When we got married 25 years ago, we didn’t have enough money for a wedding,” said the “Take Me to the King” singer. In fact, David was unable to afford a wedding band for his lady love. So the two made their union official in the pastor’s study and sealed the deal with a borrowed ring.

That goes to show that real love is not about having all the trappings. It has more to do with the strength of the couple’s connection and ability to weather life’s storms together.

For them, the storms of lack and inability to make ends meet, have finally ended. The Manns, who will star in a new reality TV series debuting late 2013/early 2014, have hit their stride and are still very much in love.

It was clearly evident to family and friends as Tamela walked down the aisle looking breathtakingly beautiful in a custom Binzario Couture gown.

Mrs. Mann told US, “We wanted a fairytale wedding, so we picked an enchanted forest theme,” replete with live trees, various types of flowers, and the grandchildren dressed as princes and princesses.

Though their fairytale has lasted throughout the years many Christian couples’ once blissful unions end in nightmarishly ugly divorces.